Varangard

Also known as the North, Varangia or the Roof of the World, Varangard is the northernmost landmass of the World. It is a harsh and cold land compared to much of the Continent, yet still fruitful and arable, though filled with many monsters and creatures.

Its human settlers are known as the Varangir in their own language of Varangish, but generally as Varangians in the Continent.

Ailangarde is also the heart realm of the Nine Realms.

Ancient Times
Before the migration of the Varangir, Varangard was inhabited by the Drómani, and known then as Ailangard. An ancient species equally wise in magic and art, commonly known as Giants. They ruled as sorcerer kings and queens, living in tune with the natural order of things.

The First Men
When the ice receded in the North roughly 1,600 years before the Shattering, explorers from the Continent arrived on the shores of Ailangarde, where they met the Drómani. Here they lived in disparate tribes as hunter-gatherers, slowly forming into tribes, their culture meshing and interweaving with that of the Drómani.

The Age of Kings
As the Varangir settled in their new home, small jarldoms and chiefdoms began to form; local lords who wanted for more. Haarkon Faydisson was one such jarl, who would come to rule a vast number of the islands in the Northern Sea, as well as much of the coasts of Tor. He proclaimed himself the King of the Isles, and with that the Age of Kings was born; a tumultuous time of greatness and sorrow, of heroes and villains.

During this time, the Varangir also moved from worshipping and revering the forces of nature to a pluralist religion based around the Thanir gods, called Thánatru.

In Recent Years
With the Drómani being gone for more than a century and the division of the Varangir, the forces of the wilderness began reclaiming what was once theirs. The civilizations of Varangard have suffered, and now towns live in clans, bound by honor and a will to survive.

Jörumm's Spine
Jörumm's Spine is a great mountain range that cuts through most of Varangarde. Ancient stories claim that the North was shaped from the body of Jörumm, the first Giant. His spine became the mountains.

The Black Forest
The Black Forest is a massive forest that covers much of Varangarde. It derives its name from the thick canopy created by the large pines, oaks and evergreens that blot out the sun and sky. It is said that Jörumm's beard became the great forest.